Firing mechanism for guns



Feb. 15, 1955 PQLNY ,701331 FIRING MECHANISM FOR GUNS Filed Sept. 5, 1952 2 sheets-sheet 1 INVENTOR ATTORNE Y6 Feb. 15, 1955 J. POLNY 2,701,931

FIRING MECHANISM FOR GUNS Filed Sept. 5, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet I k 8 7 55 M 4 12% I .36 INVENTOR BY m w ATTORNEYS United States Patent FIRING MECHANISM FOR GUNS John Polny, Elizabeth, N. J.

Application September 5, 1952, Serial No. 308,068

9 Claims. (CI. 42-69) This invention aims to provide a novel and exceptionally simple firearm which may be easily and mexpensively manufactured and may therefore be sold at an unusually reasonable price.

Another object is to provide a novel construction which allows the purchaser to easily convert the weapon from a pistol to a shot gun or vice versa.

A further object is to provide a barrel, the breech of which is normally sized to receive a shot gun shell, and to provide a novel adapter insertable into said breech for holding a pistol cartridge when desired.

A spring actuated firing pin is provided for firing either the pistol cartridge or the shot gun shell; and a further object is to provide simple and inexpensive means for cocking said firing pin and holding it cocked until the cartridge or shell is to be fired.

A still further object is to provide a novel trigger for releasing part of the cocking means and thereby releasingdthe firing pin when the cartridge or shell is to be fire With the above and other objects in view, as will be presently apparent, the invention consists in general of certain novel details of construction and combinations of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings and particularly claimed.

In the drawings, like characters of reference indicate like parts in the several views, and

Figure 1 is a side elevation showing the weapon in condition for firing a cartridge;

Figure 2 is a vertically longitudinal sectional view, partly in elevation, showing a cartridge in place and thc firing pin cocked;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary view similar to a portion of Figure 2 but showing the firing pin in its forward position and the cocking means in readiness for operation;

Figure 4 is a vertical transverse sectional view, partly in elevation, on the line 4-4 of Figure 2;

Figure 5 is a detail top plan view showing the latch which allows downward swinging of the barrel when released, for loading, ejection and reloading; and

Figure 6 is a fragmentary longitudinal sectional view partly in elevation, showing the weapon conditioned for firing a shot gun shell.

While the general construction disclosed in the drawings may be considered as preferred and will be rather specifically described, it is to be understood that variations may be made within the scope of the invention.

A horizontally elongated body 10 is provided having a hand grip 11. The rear portion of the body 10 is formed with a downwardly open recess 12, the hand grip 11 is provided with a forwardly open recess 13 substantially from end to end, and the two recesses 12 and 13 communicate with each other. A bore 14 extends from the recess 12 to the front end of the body 10, and a bushing 15 is threaded into the rear end of said body. The bore 14 and bushing 15 slidably guide a firing pin 16 which is forwardly projectable by means of a coiled compression spring 17 confined between the bushing 15 and a peripheral flange 18 on said pin. This pin is also formed with a stop shoulder 19 to strike the front end of the recess 12 and limit the forward movement of said A firing pin cocking lever 20 is disposed vertically in the recesses 12 and 13. Near its upper end, this lever 20 is provided with a ring portion 21 which surrounds the firing pin 16, said ring portion being of such diameter that the flange 18 may pass through it when the 2,701,931 Patented Feb. 15, 1955 F ice firing pin moves forwardly. The lever 20 also includes a lug 22 extending through a slot 23 in the body 10, thereby fulcruming said lever for forward and rearward swinging movements. The lug 22 may well constitute a rear sight.

Below the ring 21, the lever 20 is tubular and its lower end is closed by a screw cap 24. Slidable within this tubular lever portion is a cocking pin 25 which is biased upwardly by a compression spring 26 between said pin and the cap 24. The upper extremity 27 of the pin 25 is forwardly declined to retract said pin by contact with the peripheral edge of the flange 18, when the lever 20 is swung from the position of Figure 2 to that of Figure 3, after forward projection of the firing pin 16. Thus, the pin 25 will then engage the front side of the flange 18 as seen in Figure 3, said front side of said flange constituting a cocking shoulder. It will thus be seen that upon restoration of the lever 20 to its Figure 2 position, the firing pin 16will be cocked by the pin 25. A pivoted latch 28 is provided for releasably holding the lever 20 in the position of Figure 2 and it will be seen that the firing pin 16 may therefore be held in cocked position by said lever 20 and the pin 25.

A trigger plate 29 is disposed at one side of the lever 20, said trigger plate being pivoted at its upper rear portion to the body 10, as seen at 30. This trigger plate is formed with an arcuate slot 31 which may be about concentric with the arc of movement of the lever 20. This lever 20 is formed with a longitudinal slot 32 which intersects the slot 31, and a lateral pin 33 on the pin 25 extends through these two slots, thereby connecting said pin 25 with the trigger plate 29. Thus, with the parts in the positions of Figure 2, operation of the trigger plate 29 will retract the pin 25 from the flange 18 and the spring 17 will operate the firing pin 16.

To recock the firing pin 16 the latch 28 is released and the lever 20 is forwardly swung to the position of Figure 3, in which position the pin 25 again engages the flange 18. The lever 20 is then returned to its Figure 2 position and latched by the latch 28, thereby holding the firing pin 16 in cocked position.

A spring 34 is preferably provided in the back of the recess 13 to initially swing the lever 20 out of said recess upon release of the latch 28.

A short barrel 35 is pivoted at 36 to the front end of the body 10 and is held in normal position by a latch 37. Release of this latch allows downward swinging of the barrel for loading, ejection and reloading. The barrel 35 is of such internal diameter that it may receive a shot gun shell 38 as seen in Figure 6, and the breech of said barrel is slightly counterbored at 39 to receive the usual head 40 on the rear end of the shell. When the weapon is to be used for firing a pistol cartridge 41 (Figure 2), an adapter 42 is inserted in the barrel 35, said adapter having a bead 43 receivable in the counterbore 39. The front portion of the adapter 42 is preferably formed with longitudinal slots 44 dividing it into spring fingers 45. These slots 44 may well terminate at their rear ends in openings 46 formed radially through the adapter 42.

The front end of the barrel 35 is externally threaded at 47 to allow the attachment of a barrel extension 48 (Figure 6) when the weapon is to be used for firing a shot gun shell. The extension 48 may be locked in place by a set screw 49 and said extension preferably has a front sight 50. i

A guard 51 (Figures 1 and 2) is provided to protect the screw thread 47 when the weapon is to be used as a pistol. This guard may be readily applied around or removed from the barrel 35. It preferably consists of a split band having ears 52 at its ends, and a clamping bolt 53 extending through said ears. These ears constitute a front sight.

A suitable safety catch 54 is preferably provided on the hand grip 11, said safety catch being engageable with the outer end of the pin 33 as seen in Figures 1 to 4. The hand grip 11 is arcuately slotted at 55 to allow the pin 33 to extend to the safety catch 54 and the slot is of such length that it cannot interfere with proper movement of said pin 33 as the lever 20 is moved forwardly and rearwardly.

From the foregoing, it will be seen that novel construction has been provided for carrying out the objects of the invention. Attention is, however, again directed to the possibility of making variations within the scope of the invention.

I claim:

1. A firearm comprising a barrel-carrying body having a downwardly projecting hand grip, said body having a downwardly open recess and said hand grip having a forwardly open recess, the two recesses being in communication with each other, a spring-actuated firing pin slidable in said body and having a portion of its length exposed in said recess of said body, said firing pin having a forwardly facing cocking shoulder, a pin-cocking lever in said communicating recesses, fulcrum means above said firing pin and connecting said cocking lever with said body, a releasable latch for normally holding said lever within said recess of said hand grip, a springpressed pin-cocking member carried by said lever and cooperable with said shoulder to cock said firing pin when said lever is swung forwardly and then returned, and a trigger operativey ressed member for releasing the latter to release said ring pin.

2. In a firearm having a breech body and a hollow handle extending downwardly and rearwardly from the rear portion of the breech body, said body having a downwardly opening recess at its rear portion and having a firing pm receiving bore leading forwardly from said recess, said body having an opening in its rear wall and an opening throu the to of the recess, a firing girnnguide removably tted in e rear wall opening, a

g pin reeiprocably mounted in said bore and guide and having a collar intermediate its ends, a compression spring surrounding said pin between the collar and guide, a swinging member having a head portion surrounding said pin and a lug extending from the head through the opemng in the top of the recess, said swinging member having a tubular member extending downwardly from said head, a latch pin mounted in said tubular member, and engageable with said collar, spring'means urging said latch pin u wardly, and trigger means operatively the lat pin and effecting downward movement ereo 3. A structure as specified in claim 1; said fulcrum means comprising a slot in said body and a lug on said lever extending upwardly through said slot, said lug also constituting a rear si t.

4. A structure as spec ed in claim 1; said lever. having a portion surrounding said firing pin, said lever also having a lug projecting upwardly from said ring rtion, said body having a slot receiving said lug, said ug and slot constituting said fulcrum means.

5. A stmctm'e as specified in claim 1; said lever having a tubular portion below said firing pm, said pinconnected with said spring cocking member consisting of a slidable pin in said tubular portion of said lever and having a beveled upper end cooperable with said shoulder of said firing pin, a lateral pin on said slidable pin, said tubular portion of said lever and said trigger having slots through which said lateral pin extends, said lateral pin and the slot of said trigger serving to operatively connect said trigger with said slidable pin.

6. A structure as specified in claim 1; said springpressed member having a lateral pin, said hand grip having a slot through which said lateral pin extends, and a safety catch on said hand grip and engageable with said lateral pin.

7. In a firearm having a body and a spring-actuated firing pin provided with a cocking shoulder, a firing pincocking lever transverse to said firing pin and fulcrumed to said body at a point above said firing pin for forward swinging-from a normal position, latch means for releasably holding said lever in said normal position, and a spring-pressed member carried by said lever and cooperable with said shoulder for connecting said lever with said firing pin when said lever is swung forwardly from said normal position, whereby return of said lever to said normal'position will cock said firing pin and hold it cocked, and a trigger operatively connected with said spring-pressed member for releasing it from said shoulder to release said firing pin.

8. A structure as specified in claim 6; said lever having a ring portion surrounding said firing pin, said lever also having a fulcrum lug pro ecting upwardly from said ring portion, the portion of said lever below said ring portion being tubular, said springressed member conlsisting of a slidable pin in said tu ular portion of said ever.

9. A structure as specified in claim 6; said lever having a ring portion surrounding said firing pin, said lever also having a fulcrum lug projecting upwardly from said ring portion, the portion of said lever below said ring portion bein tubular, said spring-pressed member consisting of a sli ble pin in said tubular portion of said lever, and a lateral pin on said slidable pin, said tubular portion of said lever and said trigger having slots through which said lateral pin extends, the slot of said trigger and said lateral pin servingto operatively connect said trigger with said slidable p References Cited inthefileofthispatent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,126,294 Saflold Ian. 26, 1915 1,127,268 Malster Feb. 2, 1915 1,239,287 Masterton Sept. 4, 1917 asst; s isa-st;

r s re I 2,622,359 Hm-.. 

